An easy-to-install Hurd distribution

[Robert J. Chassell]

   James Buchanan wrote:

   > Hello everybody,
   > 
   > I am batting around the idea of a Hurd distribution, like Red Hat and 
   > all the rest do their own Linux distributions.

This is a wonderful plan.  Please go for it!

I will install the Hurd if it comes as a good, not-too-hard-to-install
distribution.

I would very much appreciate it if you would improve the current
Debian GNU/Hurd distribution such that I can do the following:

1. Specify the appropriate deb line in my 

        /etc/apt/sources.list 

   file on a Pentium 100 machine currently running Debian GNU/Linux,
   including X Windows, on 23 Mbytes of RAM.

2. Let me run the following on that machine under Debian GNU/Linux,

        apt-get install task-hurd

   and download via my existing telephone dial up no more than 20 or
   30 megabytes of .deb files that then install themselves.

2a. perhaps, in the process, offer to repartition my hard disk if
    needed, with good explanations and reasonable suggestions, both
    for the current drive in the machine (850 Mb) and for a different,
    larger drive (5.2 Gb).  You can assume that the current Debian
    GNU/Linux distribution on this machine takes up 550Mb.

3. Reboot the machine with a choice at the boot prompt of running
   either Linux or Hurd.

4. Boot successfully when I choose Hurd, and incorporate into the Hurd
   configuration files the the PPP and other such kernel-independent
   configuration information that the current Debian GNU/Linux already
   has so I don't have to retype the information.

5. After boot into Debian GNU/Hurd, offer

        make gnu-hurd-apps-from-potato-CD-sources

   which will take the sources for Debian GNU/Linux 2.2 (potato)
   that I have on three CDs and build them into GNU/Hurd applications.
   Compute ahead of time approximately how long the build will take
   (on this machine, possibly several days). 

   (I am unable to download much via telephone, so I must buildg most
   of the system from deb-src source files.  Also, I have the sources
   to Debian GNU/Linux 2.2 (potato) on three CDs.)


6. Also offer

        make gnu-hurd-debs-from-potato-CD-sources

   so I can then collect all the .deb files needed for a complete
   Debian GNU/Hurd distribution and burn them onto three CDs like the
   current Debian GNU/Linux distribution and give them to my sister's
   husband, so he can install and run the Hurd on one of his machines.

Thank you.

-- 
    Robert J. Chassell                  bob@rattlesnake.com
    Rattlesnake Enterprises             http://www.rattlesnake.com